A Guide to your New Year gut cleanse

Fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, headaches, digestive problems, frequent infections and low energy are all signs that your body is overloaded and in need of a cleanse and detox. Given the fast pace of our lives, stress, poor dietary habits and the range of environmental (BPA, pesticides and heavy metals) and endogenous toxins (excess hormones, pesticides from non-organic foods, metabolites of medications, alcohol and drugs) spinning around, we could all do with a detox this time of year, however it’s also important to do it in a safe and effective way, focusing on nutritional and supplemental support for the detoxification systems in the body.

Cleansing and detoxification are often used interchangeably yet they are different; both are important to consider as part of a health revitalisation plan. Cleanse refers to the gut and detox is more about removing toxins from all over the body, but you can’t do one without the other! It’s best to cleanse first before starting a general detox as you need to make sure the gut, a major detoxification system in the body is working optimally, no leaky gut or inflammation and regular daily bowel movements are essential before you start to remove toxins from other organs in the body.

A cleanse and detox can help to energise, improve mood and mental clarity and support healthy skin,
hair and nails and it does this by working at a cellular level enabling more efficient and effective function.

The Gut Cleanse

Start with a 4 week 4R programme – Remove, Replace, Re-inoculate and Repair. Then move on to a detoxification protocol for the whole body.

Remove

Remove any foods and environmental toxins that interfere with a balanced microbiome – wheat, dairy, sugar, ultra processed foods and alcohol are key to start the process.
Eat at least 7 portions of vegetables a day, organic where possible, and or use the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Clean 15, Dirty Dozen to work out what foods its best to eat organic and those that are not such a concern.

Replace

Replace with digestive enzymes to support digestion and absorption in the stomach and small intestine as well
as an antimicrobial to weed out any pathogenic bacteria 
in the small intestine/ colon. At the same time feed commensal (good) bacteria with a prebiotic like inulin, or Partially Hydrolysed Guar Gum (PHGG).

Good stomach acid (HCL Betaine) and digestive enzymes are required for the first step in the digestive process – low levels can lead to poor levels of absorption, especially calcium and vitamin B12 (low stomach acid), as well as gut problems further down the system with poorly digested food being one of the causes of a bacterial overgrowth in the colon or small intestine. Age, stress, medication and alcohol can all compromise this process.

Viridian Digestive Aid is an excellent place to start as 
it contains HCL as well as a range of digestive enzymes.

BioCare Betaine HCL and Pepsin is a high potency combination of hydrochloric acid, naturally found in the stomach and the protein digesting enzyme Pepsin. This is good for people with occasional heartburn caused by low stomach acid, as well as improving protein digestion.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – a couple of teaspoons in a small glass of warm water before meals can also help to increase stomach acidity and improve digestion.

Take digestive enzymes/ACV/prebiotic throughout the 4-week cleanse, but do not use Betaine HCL or ACV
if you have a stomach ulcer.

Antimicrobials can help to weed out any pathogenic bacteria 
in the small intestine and colon. However, care should be taken, as with antibiotics, antimicrobials are not selective in their weeding and beneficial bacteria will also take a hit. This is why its so important to ‘fertilize’ your gut with a good quality prebiotic to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria while taking the antimicrobials (weeding).

Do not take concentrated antimicrobial supplements for longer than two weeks without adding in natural breaks 
to allow beneficial bacteria to recover. Take antimicrobials
for two weeks at the start of the cleanse.

Herbal antimicrobials include:

• Wormwood tincture
• Goldenseal tincture
• Allicin – active constituent of garlic.
• Garlic – ensure its bruised/crushed and left to stand
for 10 – 15 minutes before using to activate allicin
• Oregano tincture
• Sage, Thyme, lemon balm and Uva Ursi are available as loose teas and or tinctures. If using as a tea, steep overnight in hot water and then heat up, to increase potency.
• Clove spice and ginger can be used in cooking or as an aromatic spice in hot drinks

Re-inoculate

Re-inoculate with good quality pre and probiotic and eat fermented foods like sauerkraut kimchi and kombucha. To get real benefit from the probiotics ensure antimicrobials have been finished before starting.

Good sources include:

• Prebiotic: Inulin, Phgg, Gos
• Probiotics: Optibac and Biokult everyday are both good basic probiotics. For something stronger try BioCare acidophilus or for gut barrier healing, Invivo Bio Me Barrier

Bath Culture House and Glastonbury Ferments both
produce excellent ferments – Sauerkraut and Kimchi or
look for our sauerkraut recipe in store and make your own.

Repair

Repair any damage to the intestinal wall of the gut with healing bone broth and or supplemental Zinc Carnosine and
L Glutamine. Should be taken at the same time as probiotics.

Now you’re ready to move on to the next phase: 
Cellular Detoxification which will be covered in detail in next month’s health feature.

SHOP our gut cleansing starter bundle. Available online or in-store

Includes:
• Viridian Digestive Aid >
• Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar >
• Earthfare Sage or Lemon balm loose tea >
• Bio-Kult 60s Everyday >